The Aftermath
by thisis-A
Summary: One heat of the moment affair ties Aria and Ezra for life, and now it's time to deal with the consequences. Set post 6x20.
Aria sipped nervously on her coffee, snapping her head to the door every time she heard it open. With each stranger that walked in, her anxiety only grew, along with her irrational hatred of the poor people innocently coming in. She checked her phone again. 10:28am. In two minutes he'll be late. She wouldn't be surprised, he always was a bit of a scatter brain. Countless times she'd be waiting around in his apartment, wondering why he wasn't home when he said he'd be back before she got there. Sometimes even hours later he'd stumble in, rambling something about losing his keys or wanting to pick her up some pie before he left. She never minded. She never minded about anything.

10:29am. She took a shaky breath, trying to settle her somersaulting stomach. Her leg was jiggling so much that it hit the table, causing her spoon to clank against her cup and plate. _Calm down, Aria, you can do this._ She tried to imagine Spencer's confident voice reassuring her, letting her know that everything would be fine. She used to do the same with his voice. From time to time she still did, but that wouldn't work right now.

10:30am. She took out her phone again, looking to distract herself with a mindless app or similar. She opened her emails. There was one from Liam. Something about catching that new DiCaprio movie when she was back in Boston. She quickly locked her phone. Her teeth chattered against the ceramic as she lifted the mug to her lips, the bitter coffee now lukewarm as it ran down her throat. She remembered the joke he always used to say: _"Who is this Luke, anyway, and why is he of such a nondescript temperature?"_. She used to roll her eyes and say that was ' _such_ a dad joke'.

10:31am. The door flew open, sending a cold gust of wind down Aria's already shivering spine. This time she didn't turn around, as she was too busy dabbing at the coffee she had just spilt on her skirt.

"Aria?"

Her head flew round at his voice. He was standing there with an unsure smile on his face, his body language suggesting he didn't really know what he was doing there. Aria willed her face to muster a smile, but she was sure it looked more like a grimace.

"Hey." She said, before clearing her throat in an attempt to level her voice. "Sit down."

She hadn't seen him in three weeks. She had flown back to Boston to talk to Jillian about the book and to break up with Liam. She had managed to do one of those things.

"How have you been?" He asked, sitting down opposite Aria. He looked as if he was trying to read her face, but couldn't understand what he was seeing. It was unsettling for both of them.

"I've been okay." She shrugged. "How about you?" _Don't pussyfoot around it, Aria, just get straight to the point._ Spencer chastised her mentally. Aria silently told Spencer to shut up.

"Yeah, fine. You know, can't complain." He darted his tongue out to lick his lips, narrowing his eyes like he didn't know whether to say what he was thinking. "Why did you ask to meet me? And why here? Why not the apartment or, you know, the Brew? I could've got us free coffee." He winked, and Aria faked a laugh.

"I just… I wanted some privacy." She said softly, looking over her shoulder to make sure the quiet coffee shop wasn't suddenly occupied by Sara Harvey or similar. "And it's probably not a good idea to talk about this in the apartment." She added. His eyes widened slightly.

"Is this about what happened between us?" He asked. "Because I want you to know it doesn't have to happen again. I completely respect the fact that you're in a relationship and I think it's entirely possible for us to continue as co-authors while still-"

"Ezra."

"No, seriously. I can keep my feelings in check and I'm sure you-"

"Ezra."

"It's fine, Aria, really. I mean, we were both just overwhelmed with emotion and-"

"I'm pregnant."

"You're… You're pregnant?" Ezra repeated for the fourth time, again earning a nod from Aria. "And it's, it's mine?"

Aria just nodded again, swirling her spoon round her nearly empty cup of coffee.

"Well, at least I think it is. Logistically." She added quietly. Ezra, who had previously been paralysed in place due to shock, now raised an eyebrow.

"You mean there's a chance it could be…?" He didn't know why he couldn't say his name. Aria shrugged.

"I mean, there's a chance." She admitted. "But it's unlikely."

Aria had considered telling Liam it was his. He and Ezra looked so alike he probably wouldn't even be able to tell. But she knew the truth would unravel one day, and to be honest the idea of being tied to Liam for life terrified her. So she didn't tell him that. She didn't tell him anything.

"What are you… I mean, what are you going to do?" Ezra asked, trying not to stare at her flat stomach, imagining a tiny tiny baby that was half her and half him resting inside. Aria bit her lip in an attempt to stop tears from forming in her eyes.

"I have no idea." She confessed softly. "I was kind of hoping you could tell me." She smiled meekly. Ezra shook his head vehemently.

"I can't do that for you, Aria. Whatever you decide, it needs to be your decision." He said firmly.

"But it's not just my decision. Do you really want to be father to a child that was conceived through cheating?" She questioned, before immediately backtracking. "I mean, not that I'd expect you to help look after it, if I did keep it. I'm just saying." She blushed sheepishly, embarrassed by her slip.

 _Father._ The word bounced around in Ezra's mind. Years ago he had imagined having children with Aria, and of course him and Nicole had discussed it, but after she disappeared it was something he rarely thought about. It seemed like everyone he went to school with was having children suddenly- even _Hardy_ had a one year old son. Ezra had always wanted children, but recently it looked to him as if it was something that was never going to happen. Now Aria comes along after five years saying she's pregnant with what may or may not be his child, and she may or may not keep it, and even if she does he may or may not be part of its life. How did this girl have such an astounding ability to complicate things? Well, that's not entirely fair. It takes two to tango. And one to put on a condom.

"Have you spoken to him?" Ezra asked. _Liam, Ezra, his name is Liam._ Aria shook her head, looking down into her cup.

"No. No, I wanted to speak to you first." She mumbled, before looking him in the eye. "You know, before I do anything. If I do anything."

Ezra nodded with a gulp, knowing what she meant. Truth be told, he didn't want Aria to get an abortion, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"How do you think he'll react? You know, do you think he'll want to look after it?" He asked. Suddenly images came into his head of Liam holding Aria's hand while Aria birthed Ezra's child, of Liam and Aria fighting over who would get up to feed Ezra's baby, of Ezra's child clinging onto Liam's leg on their first day of school. He imagined receiving a few pictures every now and again of the smiling, happy family. Maybe he'd even be invited to birthday parties. He felt sick.

"I don't know." Aria said in a mousey whisper. "I don't even know if I'd want him to look after it."

"Oh?" Ezra raised an eyebrow, trying not to seem too eager. Aria shook her head.

"This whole thing has made me think a lot, about a lot of things. I've tried picturing myself with Liam, tried to see how this could possibly work, but… I don't think it could. I don't love Liam. At least I don't think I do." Aria gushed and then stopped herself before she revealed too much. Ezra stayed silent, taking it all in.

After a few minutes of silence, Ezra spoke.  
"Whatever you choose to do, I want to be there for you. I don't want you to go through this alone." He settled on saying. He didn't want to scare her off by revealing his resurfaced feelings for her. Aria gave a small smile.

"Thank you. That means a lot." She said, but sounded as if she hadn't really absorbed what he said.

"I mean it, Aria. If you decide you want to keep it, then I will do whatever I can to be there for you. For you and the baby." The word sounded foreign on his lips. _Baby. Baby. Baby._

"Thank you, Ezra." Aria's hand reached across the table to hold Ezra's. Hesitantly, he placed his hand in hers, giving her fingers a small squeeze as he gave a little smile. She took another shaky breath before looking him in the eye. "I think I know what I want to do."


End file.
